The braiding of three-dimensional article preforms is known in the art. Existing apparatus for braiding three-dimensional article preforms moves the fiber strands or yarns in Cartesian X-Y motions on a flat, planar bed of tracks forming a pattern of columns and rows or in polar motions about a series of concentric flat, planar circular tracks. The fiber strands typically are carried and moved simultaneously along the desired path by carrier members that move on a carrier plane or surface defined by the tracks in the column and row configuration or in the concentric circular configuration.
Illustrative of both types of apparatus are the Bluck U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,804 issued Feb. 11, 1969, and the Florentine U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,261 issued Jan. 26, 1982.
The Brown et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,560 issued Nov. 11, 1986, describes a Cartesian type of braiding apparatus having devices to tamp the columns of fiber carriers while the columns are blocked by an intermediate row of fiber carriers to effect proper alignment of the fiber carriers.
Technical article entitled "Application Of Through-The-Thickness Braiding Technology" by Richard T. Brown presented at 30th National SAMPE Symposium, Mar. 19-21, 1985, page 1509 describes braiding apparatus of the Cartesian and concentric circle types having flat, planar carrier planes.
These braiding apparatus typically include a fiber take-up and gathering device at some distance from the carrier plane of the braiding apparatus to move the intertwined fiber strands away from the carrier surface. A means for gathering and tightening the braid pattern of the intertwined fiber strands may also optionally be provided. As a result of the flat, planar nature of the carrier plane, the take-up and consolidation point are located significantly different distances from the various carrier members at different positions of the carrier plane. As a result, the distance between the consolidation point and each carrier member varies significantly with different locations of the carrier members on the carrier plane.
It is desirable to minimize the difference between distances from a carrier member to the consolidation point regardless of the location of the carrier member on the carrier plane in order to minimize complexity of the carrier members, especially the strand tensioner mechanism on the carrier members.